Strategic Rail Authority chairman Richard Bowker added: "Today marks a step forward in the way the railway delivers for the people of Wales.

"For the very first time, Wales will have a unified railway under a single operational management structure.

"Arriva Trains will now concentrate on what matters most to passengers - improved performance, reliability and punctuality."

Andrew Davies, Wales' Transport Minister, said that he was looking forward to working with Arriva to improve existing services and to open new passenger services on the Vale of Glamorgan and Ebbw Valley lines.